Former Offensive Lineman Believes Patriots Abused Injured Reserve Rules

Former Patriots offensive lineman Ross Tucker believes that coach Bill Belichick abused IR rules by allowing injured players to practice. By league rule, players on Injured Reserve cannot practice with the team.

Tucker talked with ESPN's NFL Live yesterday about what he wrote at SI.com last week.

Basically, the Patriots would put a player on IR, knowing it meant he couldn't play in a game or practice with the team for the remainder of the season. By skirting the rules and practicing him anyway, it allowed them to develop his skills during the year. A side benefit is that they were also able to give some of the older players less repetitions and, therefore, additional rest.

This item also came up during Matt Walsh's little chat last week with Roger Goodell.

Tucker (who played for five teams during his career) wrote that he asked Pats receiver Troy Brown about allowing IR players to practice -- to which he was told "everyone does it". Tucker contends that none of the other teams he'd play for (Redskins, Cowboys, Browns, Bills) ever let an IR player practice with the team during the season.

However, Tucker does say that he never saw or heard about any video tapes made by the team. Obviously there were tapes out there, but this goes back to the question of how those tapes were used by the organization.

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young stretches during football practice Friday, May 23, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. Although the Titans managed just nine touchdown passes last season, the team showed enough trust in the receivers Young has to throw to that they picked players in other positions during the first three rounds of the draft. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-23-2008 @ 6:59AM

don said...

The commish has another opportunity to make a ruling. Maybe he will fine them again. Like cash really hits them where it hurts.

What else did they do to steal 3 super bowl titles? The franchise will forever be tainted.

5-23-2008 @ 8:19AM

Riley Freeman said...

why do players always have to bad mouth teams after they leave. who cares they let them practice this is not something that NEEDED to be told. useless information he should have kept his mouth shut

5-23-2008 @ 8:28AM

lk said...

This is just because the spotlight is on the Pats. I wonder if you interviewed every player that has ever played for other teams, what kind of shananigans you would uncover. Please. Just another loser trying to get his face in the spolight.

5-23-2008 @ 8:46AM

Sounds like he did have an opinion on how the tapes were used, but of course they can not ferret out that info. This is from an interview with Ross Tucker following this years superbowl, so not too long ago.

Bowie, Md.: Does yesterday's result lend any credence to the idea that illegal spying had been a significant component to the Patriot's success?

Ross Tucker: Absolutely not. That "spying" had very little, if anything with the Pats success and this year proved it. They won 18 games without it.

Washington, D.C.: A lot of people have compare Spygate with steroids in MLB. But the steroid investigation wasn't just limited to Barry Bonds and the SF Giants. Has anyone done any investigation as to how widespread the use of taping is in the NFL?

Ross Tucker: I can not overemphasize how little impact the taping had on their performance. They mainly did it just to see how long it took the Defensive Coordinators to make their call so that they knew whether or not it would be a good idea to run the No-Huddle the next time they played that team.

5-23-2008 @ 8:49AM

ruusta said...

This witch hunt against the patriots is getting ridiculous

5-24-2008 @ 12:58PM

brenda mcconnell said...

Is ANYONE really surprised that Beli-cheat broke yet another NFL rule??? I'll bet he will say he misinterpreted that rule also--- lol
Yes, the Pats organization will forever be tainted, especially as long as Beli-cheat is coach!!!!!
I see those rings tarnishing as we speak.

Have a great day,
Brenda

5-23-2008 @ 10:13AM

Well Brenda, if we are going to start tarnishing the rings of every team that has ever been penalized by the NFL for breaking the rules, there will be a long line. If you then add in tarnishing on players comments, the line will be even longer. May I ask who is your team? Let's see what we can find out about them if we try.

5-23-2008 @ 10:45AM

rick said...

another moron heard from, wants his 15 minutes of fame, because he can't make it as a player. when your at the top people become jealous of your rings, so keep on hating it becomes all you hatters, JUST FEAR THE PATRIOTS

5-23-2008 @ 11:07AM

johan said...

FYI RICK : Ross Tucker is employed by Sports Illustrated to write about the NFL. He wrote what he knew about the PATS and ESPN contacted him to speak about it. So 15 minutes of fame is a bad arguement considering he is a journalist at this point and ESPN contacted HIM to comment on his story. As for people who thought he should have kept his mouth shut...again he is a journalist..one with inside info on the Patriots operations. I personally would like to hear everything he has to say about the way the PATS operate if they are operating outside the rules set forth by the league. The man is a Princeton educated NFL level athlete. The way i see it he has the best of both worlds. A High level education coupled with an inside knowledge of NFL teams operating procedures.

5-23-2008 @ 1:40PM

Stuck on RT 1 said...

If you want to work for ESPN the first step is to trash anything Boston, especially the Pats . This jackass is just padding his resume.

5-23-2008 @ 2:06PM

claytor said...

Trash anything Boston???

lol, ESPN has clung to the nuts of the Celts hardcore this year, much less all the years theyve been doing it for the Sox. Even while the Spygate thing has been going on, theyve repeatedly acted like Brady is the greatest player ever (hes not), and nobody ever ever ever! could beat the Pats.

Well guess what, someone DID beat the Pats, and New Englands been clinging to that us against the world! logic regardless. Thats why nary a soul outside of N.E. or bandwagon Pats fan is aiding your cause, you subscribed to a jerkoff coaches mentality that the world is against you, even when they werent, and oh noes! when its revealed that Bellicheat breaks more rules than George "The Animal" Steele, WERE the bad guys?

Screw that, hondo. Noone to blame but yourself. Bad enough that nearly every Pats involved Super Bowl has felt more scripted than a Rocky flick, now we have to tolerate the whiners when the role is reversed and youre Drago, lol.

Since you guys are all about being "fair" now....why not give Philly the SB trophy in concession since a guy who bought enough HGH to supplement the entire Austrian swim team four days before it made key picks in the game, a game he shouldve never played in, hm?

Oh, thats right, the NFL "cracked down" on that guy what, two years AFTER the fact? Yeah, just like when they came down hard! and took the LOWER first round pick instead of the one they conveniently snagged higher, talk about feeling the burn!

What a joke.

5-23-2008 @ 2:47PM

Rick Vogt said...

Well done Claytor!!

5-23-2008 @ 3:45PM

Claytor, when you say nary a soul, you are talking strictly fans of other teams and bloggers right? Because I really do not see too much disrespect being shown to the Pats from coaches, owners or people that actually play football. I mean in the end, it would be crazy to care what fans of other teams think. You are entitled to your opinion of the Pats, but at the end of the day, what does your opinion really mean to anyone?

5-23-2008 @ 3:50PM

Jan said...

Let's see, this story reminds me of the ancient Romans and their Coleseum gladiators. Do you people really think the Pats are being picked on? That Caesar Bellichek plays everybody, regardless of injuries or protests, exposes his ego as a coach who will do "anything" to win games.
Hey, they lost the Super Bowl which made him very angry and less than gracious with the Giants coach.
He is a poor example of a coach.
Jan, a Raiders fan in Beaver, Utah

5-23-2008 @ 4:24PM

Lol, it meant enough to you, lk.

Tucker can only give so much info, whoo hoo, he doesnt have an opinion on the video stuff, but uh...hes a player. Not a coach. He only truly sees what is happening on the field, no? I didnt know they allowed ol Ross into the coaches meetings when theyre developing gameplans, when the video IS being shown. And i think plenty of actual players, coaches, etc, HAVE made mention of it, and yes, in a disdained tone. Steve Young said if he knew wtf the other team was going to do (you know, when they get the cheat video reviews down at halftime), hed be nearly unstoppable if he knew what the defense was throwing at him. Btw, isnt that what Bellicheat has always been praised for? Making those uber sweet halftime adjustments? Now we know how he does it.

Oh, and for all the G.O.A.T. blather Brady the deadbeat dad gets, its amazing to me how many Super Bowl winning tds hes thrown, the esteemed number of....0. Viniateris leg = NOT Bradys arm.

Im sorry, guess i need to have been a former NFL player to comprehend anything football, huh. Tuck (rule) that in your pipe, and smoke it.

5-23-2008 @ 4:54PM

T said...

Did anyone stop to think that maybe these players wanted to practice? I don't think a gun was put to their head. Who is this guy anyway? He's not even significant.

5-24-2008 @ 1:23PM

joe wallace said...

it's a new season, and we all start from scratch. O wins, O losses. And everyone in the world is watching the Pats, and every disgruntled nutjob that levels an accusation will get his spotlight.

And, do you know what? Chances are very good that the Pats will still beat your team like a rented mule. Sure, if you are a good team like the giants or cowboys, you will have a chance, and may beat them. Congrats, Giants.

But it probably won't be YOUR team.

That sucks. I can understand whyyou can't let this stuff go. They actually can't be THAT MUCH better than your team after all. They must have cheated the whole time.

The moon landing was fixed by Belicheck. I heard it from a source who may or may not have tapes. Talk to Tomase, he will print it.

Enjoy your lost season, and keep the irrational hatred coming.